All Because
by rmags20
Summary: *Formerly A Simple Haircut* Returning to Hogwarts for her seventh year as Head Girl was supposed to be a year for Hermione to focus on her studies & future. But with the discovery that Draco Malfoy is the Head Boy sharing her dorm, Hermione's irresistible new look, and mysterious things happening to her body (and her heart), it's anything but the boring year Hermione wanted. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all. My name's Reilly, I'm taking over this story for Kate ( .Adorable). She gave me permission to do this, so please don't think I've stolen the story from her or anything like that. I'm really looking forward to writing this for you all. It's my dream to be an author, and I thought I should probably just start with characters that aren't mine and just focus on plot line for the first couple of tries. I hope to actually finish this. **

**Anyways, please leave a review and let me know what you think of the changes I've made and leave any feedback you see fit, I won't be offended in the slightest. I really hope you all enjoy. **

**-Reilly**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing whatsoever. **

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Hermione sat down in the salon chair and took a deep breath. It was two days before she was to return to Hogwarts for her seventh year and she was stressing. The summer had been hectic enough, with her flying and apparating all over Europe to talk to ministry officials and do interviews with wizarding magazines and visiting schoolmates at St. Mungos; now she had to prepare to go back and she had forgotten just how stressful preparing for school was. Not to mention she was Head Girl, a whole other boatload of responsibilities.

Her day had so far consisted of going to Diagon Alley to get her school books, only to find out that they had no more copies of the seventh year potions book. It was practically unheard of for Flourish & Blotts to run out of anything at all, so she had no idea what to do. Thankfully, they redirected her to another, slightly less popular bookstore, and it was there in abundance. Then, her Mum wanted to go shopping for some Muggle clothes at the department store and they ran into one her chums and stood there catching up for almost half an hour. Hermione escaped only with the excuse that she needed a haircut and told her mom to meet her at the salon when she was done reminiscing.

She looked at the list in her lap, waiting for the hair dresser to come around. She had only accomplished three of the seven things on her list and immediately begin meticulously scheduling the next thirty-six hours of her life.

"Oh my word," came a voice from behind her. She looked up and in the mirror saw a man about her height with spiky brown hair standing behind her, scissors in hand. Then she looked at her reflection, horrified. Her hair had _grown._ The heat of the hair salon combined with her stress had caused her hair to frizz to the maximum. There was literally a giant ball atop her head.

"Just do whatever you think would look best," said Hermione, surrendering her chaotic brown locks over to this stranger. He grinned.

"We'll start with a deep conditioning," he said. He observed the tentative look on her face. "Don't be worried," he affirmed soothingly. "When I'm done with you, you won't regret a single thing."

* * *

September 1st arrived and Hogwarts students from all around were gathering at Kings Cross for their back to school voyage. If one looked closely, the crest of Hogwarts could be seen on nearly every trunk in the station. Hermione removed her sunglasses cautiously as she entered the platform. The scarlet steam engine was a refreshing sight and everywhere you looked there were parents saying goodbye and friends saying hello. She quickly glanced around for her friends, but couldn't spot them so she decided to go put her trunk away before dong a more thorough search. Before she could take another step, she was stopped by a boy. She recognized him as Seamus Finnegan and was about to say hello when he introduced himself.

"Seamus Finnegan," he announced, grinning broadly at her. "I don't think we've been properly acquainted. I'm a seventh year in Gryffindor. What house are you in?" Hermione looked at him in shock. Then she giggled.

"Seamus," she said, now laughing outright. "Seamus, it's me. It's Hermione." She smiled bashfully at him, chuckling softly.

Seamus' eyes widened and he began to laugh too. "Hermione _Granger_? My word, you look different. Your hair...," he trailed off. Hermione blushed and simply nodded in response, twisting a perfect curl around her finger.

That hairdresser hadn't been wrong. Hermione's hair was gorgeous; now shoulder length and a cascade of shiny brown ringlets. It's silly to think that a flattering haircut can really change a person's appearance as much as it did to Hermione's, but this was a special case. The haircut brought out all of the stunning facial features that her mane of frizz had hidden before. Her high cheekbones, her pristine skin, her full lips, her sparkling brown eyes, just to name a few. Now that there wasn't so much hair to be distracted by, people could see her long, muscular legs, her hourglass figure, her round bust, her overall petiteness.

The overall effect was breathtaking. It was as though a veil had been lifted and the beauty of Hermione's inside was now matched by the body and face of an angel. Her new look had also brought an air of self-confidence to her. She had always been confident in her mental and magical abilities, but now Hermione felt _beautiful_, which wasn't really something she had felt since the Yule Ball.

"Let me help you with that trunk of yours, Hermione," Seamus said. Hermione smiled gratefully, and walked with him to the train, chatting amicably about their summers.

"HERMIONE!" yelled someone from behind her. She turned to see Ron and Harry, her two best friends in the entire world, standing back to back just yelling her name repeatedly. She was overcome with this wave of emotion at the sight of them.

"Excuse me, Seamus," she mumbled, starting towards the two boys. She broke into a run and launched herself into Ron's arms.

"Shit!" he yelled, catching himself before almost tumbling to the ground. He wrapped one arm around the small girl attached to his person. It couldn't have been Hermione. It didn't look anything like her. Smelled like her, yes. Sounded like her, yes. But...

'Who is this?' he mouthed to Harry. Harry shrugged in reply. Her face was buried in Ron's shoulder, so he couldn't exactly tell who it was either. At last, she pulled away, looking Ron right in the eyes.

"Oh, I've missed you so much, Ron," she exclaimed, kissing his cheek. She released her hold and jumped at Harry next and he caught her with ease. "You too, Harry. It's been too long." She kissed his cheek as well before stepping back on the ground.

"Her...mione?" Ron asked, eyebrows furrowed. Harry was examining her closely as well. Finally, recognition dawned on him and he hugged her again, with feeling this time. Hermione laughed and simply wrapped her arms around him in return.

Ron was still struggling.

"Hermione, you look fantastic. What did you do to you hair? Never mind, it doesn't matter, whatever you did, it's working because you are simply stunning." Harry grinned at her before hugging her again, spinning her around.

"Hermione!" exclaimed Ron, a spark of recognition in his eyes at last. He grabbed her and twirled her as well. Hermione was squealing with laughter. When he put her down, he said, "Harry's right, you look absolutely beautiful." She blushed and mumbled her thanks.

"Come on," she said, smiling happily, "Let's go get a compartment."

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**Please leave a review, I'd really appreciate it!**

**-Reilly**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's another chapter. I'm going to try to upload one every Sunday. Please leave a review, it would mean the world to me. **

**-Reilly**

* * *

Hermione had truly missed her two best friends. It had been over a month since she'd seen them, and she was dying to hear about how they'd been. She was delighted to hear that Harry and Ginny were still going strong.

"Where is Ginny, by the way?" Hermione asked.

"She's here somewhere. Probably catching up with some of her other friends," Harry replied with a shrug. Hermione raised an eyebrow but didn't question further. Ron started emphatically telling her about the two Beau-Baton girls he had somehow managed to hook up with over the summer. Hermione laughed until she cried.

Ron and Harry had fallen asleep within the next hour, so Hermione decided to go to the Head's compartment for a while. She still didn't know who Head Boy. Besides, McGonagall wanted to meet with them both as soon as the train arrived.

She started toward the compartment, saying hello to the people she new (receiving puzzled looks in return) and every first year she saw. She finally came to the Head's compartment, and she slid the door open cautiously. Sitting inside was Draco Malfoy.

She looked at him, confused. He met her gaze, raising an eyebrow. "Malfoy," she said. He studied her carefully. "This compartment is for the Heads..." she trailed off, finally coming to the realization that he _was_ a Head. Head Boy. Of course. She would have been furious had this been occurring six months earlier, but now...Hermione simply didn't have the energy to hate anymore. This included Malfoy, despite everything he had done in the past. When she looked at him now, she had absolutely no emotions; no hate, no disgust. She was tired of all that.

Besides, she had heard from George that Malfoy and a handful of other Slytherins had become spies for the Order. She respected that. She had come into the year with a blank canvas for everyone she had ever disliked. So far, she had yet to be disappointed. Then again, this was Malfoy. If anyone were to make her regret this blank canvas thing she was trying, it was him.

She closed the compartment door and took a seat on the bench across from him. He continued to watch her closely. They sat in silence for a good while before he broke it. "I'm sorry," he said. Hermione raised her eyebrows. She had never heard him apologize to anyone the entire time she had known him. "I don't recognize you. What's your name?" She really shouldn't have been surprised. Even her two best friends hadn't known who she was at first.

"It's Granger, Malfoy," she replied, leaning back against her seat. His eyes widened for a moment, but then he smirked.

"Should've known Head Girl would be you, Granger." Hermione shrugged, noticing he had yet to insult her. They sat in silence as they continued on their way to school.

* * *

Draco Malfoy's summer had been horrible. It was a series of trials (his, his friends, his parents) and meetings with the Wizengomet and the Minister. Condemning his mother had been the hardest. He absolutely loathed that she had been brought into this Death Eater lifestyle. Now she had to face the consequences of being there, even if it wasn't her first choice. Watching as she was dragged off to Azkaban was the hardest thing he had ever had to endure. He knew she would probably die there, like Lucius. That would be the last of his family.

His only source of happiness were his friendships with Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, and Pansy Parkinson; his fellow spies for the Order. They had all made it out alive and were now returning to the safest place on earth. Hogwarts. All he wanted was to lie low this year. Focus on his studies so he could get a good job. There wasn't any trust fund now that his parents were dead and gone.

He stood suddenly, deciding to go find his friends. He hadn't seen them since before his mother was taken away. He hadn't really seen anybody. He glanced quickly at Granger. "I'll find you when we need to meet McGonagall," he said stiffly, and then he left.

He searched for his friends for a good fifteen minutes before he found them. He entered the compartment, grinning at them all when they greeted him excitedly.

"Draco, take a seat," Blaise said, smirking at him. "I hear Granger's looking sexy as hell nowadays." Draco's grin immediately turned to a scowl. Pansy and Theo howled with laughter.

"It's true!" Theo declared. "I saw her. So did every other guy on the platform. You're going to have to act fast if you want her all for yourself, Draco."

Theo, Pansy, and Blaise were the only ones that knew, but Draco had loved Hermione for years. Pretty much for the entirety of their time at Hogwarts, he had loved her. They teased him mercilessly about it.

"Yeah, Draco," Pansy added, "If you don't take a go at her, I will." The three of them laughed at laughed, while Draco buried his face in his hands.

"Okay, seriously though," Blaise stated. "What are you going to do?" Draco shrugged.

"Nothing," he admitted. "It's honestly a lost cause. In fact, you can all just let it go."

"Aw, come on, Draco," Pansy pouted. "You can't give up. It's our last year. After this, you might never see her again."

Just then, the train screeched to a halt. They all gathered their things and began to make their way to the Hogsmeade platform. Pansy grabbed Draco's elbow. "Promise me you'll at least try to be friends," she said. Draco sighed, and Pansy took it as an affirmation. "Smashing," she said, winking at him.

They walked toward the carriages. Draco waited by the Head's carriage, but Hermione failed to show up. He started to look for Potter and Weasley. She was always with them. Find them, find Hermione. When he finally located Potter, however, she wasn't around.

"Potter," he called. Harry looked up. There was no animosity between them when Draco spoke. Harry respected Draco for becoming a spy and contributing to the Light Side's victory, and Draco respected Harry for killing Voldemort. Ron, however, did not share these feelings of respect.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Ron spat. Malfoy ignored him.

"When was the last time you saw Granger?" he asked.

"She was with us in the compartment before we fell asleep. When we woke up, she was gone. I assumed she went to the Head's compartment," he replied.

Draco indicated for Harry to follow him, and Harry obeyed. They walked back to the scarlet train. It was about to depart.

"We've got to hurry," Draco said. Harry nodded, and they boarded the train and began to run. They came to the Head's compartment just as the train's whistle blew. They had one minute before the train was going to leave with them on it. Malfoy threw open the compartment doors and there was Hermione on the bench, sleeping peacefully.

"Bloody hell," Draco exclaimed. Harry darted in and shook her. The train started to move.

"Hermione, wake up!" Harry yelled. She groggily opened her eyes.

"Harry, what...?" She mumbled.

"Potter, we have to go," Malfoy said urgently.

"Come on," Harry said, grabbing Hermione's hand and pulling her up. They began to run once again to the nearest door. They train picked up speed.

"We have to jump," Malfoy said.

"Are you crazy?" Hermione yelled. "That's incredibly dangerous, Malfoy!"

"He's right!" Harry bellowed. The end of the platform was approaching quickly. They were running out of time. "On the count of three, we all jump," Harry screamed. "One...Two...THREE!"

All three of them jumped from the moving train, and they hit the platform hard, rolling a few feet before coming to a stop.

Both boys were immediately by her side. "Are you okay, Granger?" Malfoy asked. Hermione nodded breathlessly. That jump had really knocked the wind out of her.

"Hermione, what happened?" Harry asked. Standing, and holding out his hands to help her up.

"I don't know," she replied, taking Harry's hands. She stood hesitantly, carefully making sure her legs were alright before letting go. She then patted herself down for other injuries. When she came up with nothing, she looked back to Harry and Draco. "I just fell asleep, and I guess I didn't hear the train stop or anything. I'm really sorry."

"It's perfectly fine, Hermione," Harry said. "Thankfully Malfoy noticed your absence and thought to check the train again."

"Thanks, Malfoy," she said. He shrugged.

They started back toward the carriages. When they arrived, all of the were gone accept the Head's carriage, so they all piled in and headed toward the school in tired silence.

They got to the school and exited the carriage, walking toward the Great Hall. Before Draco could head to the Slytherin table, however, Hermione reached out and touched his arm. "Really, Malfoy. Thank you," she said.

He only nodded in return, before turning away and starting toward his table, furiously trying not to blush.

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**Let me know what you think in a review!**

**-Reilly**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the next chapter-enjoy!**

**-Reilly**

* * *

"What the bloody hell was that, Malfoy?" Pansy screeched when he took a seat in front of her. Blaise smacked the back of his head.

"Honestly, Draco. I can't even..." she sighed. Pansy held her head in her hands, exasperated.

"What?" Draco snapped at them.

"I really find it hard to believe that you're known as the Slytherin Sex God. You can't even talk to the girl, for Merlin's sake. You're supposed to be smooth, Malfoy. Good lord."

"What was I supposed to say?" Malfoy exclaimed. Pansy, Blaise, and Theo merely shook their heads in mock disgust. Malfoy sighed and looked toward McGonagall, the headmistress of Hogwarts, as she began the sorting.

* * *

Hermione played close attention to everything McGonagall said after the first years had been sorted. There were two new teachers. Professor Xavier Dartmyth was the new potions master and Professor Delilah Lewinsky, the new transfiguration master. Both were young and attractive, fresh out of school themselves. It would definitely be interesting to have such young teachers this year.

Then she introduced the Heads. Hermione and Draco merely stood up when she called their names and the rest of the student body applauded. Seamus whistled at Hermione, causing her to blush. They sat back down and McGonagall dismissed everyone to the custody of the prefects.

She said goodbye to her friends and started towards McGonagall's office. She walked briskly, wanting nothing more than to find out where her quarters were and go to sleep. After that tumble from a moving train, her ribs were killing her. Even walking was painful. She just wanted to lie down.

When Hermione arrived at McGonagall's office, Malfoy was already standing outside. She smiled at him and he mumbled the password to the gargoyle, uncovering a staircase. "After you," Malfoy said.

'When did Malfoy become so polite?' Hermione wondered as she ascended the staircase.

"Malfoy, Granger," McGonagall greeted as they entered. "Let's make this quick, shall we? Your quarters are located in the Northwest and Northeast towers of the library, respectively. The doors to your rooms are located behind the third book from the left on the top shelf. You simply open that book to the page number written on this piece of parchment," She held up two paper squares, one red and one silver, giving the red one to Hermione and the silver one to Draco, "and say the password also written on the parchment. You each have your own bedroom, bathroom, and study area. There is also a common area that you share. You can use this common area for prefect meetings or the study groups that you have to form. Have you both decided what subject your study group will focus on during this semester?" McGonagall asked.

"Potions," Draco replied.

"Ancient Runes," Hermione stated.

"Excellent," McGonagall approved. "You will need to sort out the patrol schedules for yourselves and the prefects by the end of dinner tomorrow. Any questions?"

Draco and Hermione both shook their heads. "Very well, you are dismissed. See you both in the morning." Hermione and Draco both nodded their heads and exited McGonagall's office, heading toward the library. They walked in silence, but it wasn't an awkward kind of silence. Hermione was still confused as to why Malfoy was being so agreeable all of a sudden. She studied him carefully.

He was quite tall, she noticed, and extremely muscular. 'From Quidditch, no doubt', she thought. He had quit slicking back his hair, so it fell in his eyes, giving them a mysterious effect. And his eyes, they were this stunning blue. Hermione had to stop herself from sighing longingly. When did Draco Malfoy get so...?

They, thankfully, reached the library. Hermione went west, Draco east. She walked to the farthest corner of the library before looking at her little red card. She grabbed the third book from the left on the top shelf and opened it to page 410, and clearly stated her password, which was oatmeal, for some reason. The bookshelf dissolved before her, revealing a spiral staircase, just like McGonagall's office. She climbed the staircase, loosening her tie in the process. She was ready to go to sleep, she could explore in the morning.

Her bedroom, however, she couldn't help but notice. Fluffy, off-white carpet covered the floor and her walls were a light blue. She was surprised that it looked more like her bedroom at home, rather than her Gryffindor dormitory. The room was empty except for the giant king-sized bed. She imagined she was supposed to conjure whatever else she wanted in her room. Each part of her bedsheets was a different shade of blue, and she changed into her pajamas and climbed into her bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

Draco wasn't very tired at all, so he took the time to explore his quarters. It was much like his room back at the manor, with marble flooring and pillars. It was mostly empty, except for his bed and his closet. He came to the same conclusion Hermione did about conjuring furniture and decided to pay her a visit. He found their common room and quickly crossed it, noticing the neutral wall colors. The door to her quarters had a gold _HG_ engraved into it, and Draco smiled at the touch. He opened the door and noticed the same emptiness in the study area. He walked across the study, and climbed the three or so stairs that led to her bedroom.

"Granger," he called out hesitantly. He looked around, noticing her school clothes folded neatly and laying on a chair by what he assumed was the bathroom door. He looked toward the bed, and saw her sleeping form buried in blue blankets. He sighed, and whispered, "Goodnight, Granger," resisting the urge to push her messy curls away from her face. He turned and went back to his bedroom, collapsing onto his bed. He transfigured his school clothes into pajamas, and drifted seamlessly into dreams of Hermione Granger.

* * *

Hermione's magical alarm went off a seven o'clock, and she woke with a start, not recognizing her surroundings. She sighed as she remembered, and climbed out of her bed, walking toward her bathroom. She was delighted to find that most of her toiletries had been unpacked already and she undressed and got in the shower.

She magically dried her hair, and put a sparkly headband in to keep her fringe back. She put her school uniform on and, with time to spare, decided to see what else her quarters held. Her bedroom and study area were basically the same space, separated by only two carpeted stairs. Her bathroom was right off her bedroom and was tiled in the same color blue as her walls. She decided she would make it more homey during her study period today, and headed down the stairs to breakfast.

When she exited the spiral staircase, she was surprised to see Malfoy sitting at a table right outside her room. He stood immediately when he saw her. "Um, hi, Malfoy," Hermione said, raising an eyebrow at him and laughing nervously.

"Hi," he replied quickly. "I, um, thought you might want to walk to breakfast together, maybe?" he said uncertainly. _God, what the fuck is wrong with you? She's just a fucking girl, for fucks sake_, he thought angrily. He cleared his throat and was prepared to say something rude to cover up for his very out-of-character stuttering when Hermione replied.

"Sure," she said, smiling at him. "Let's go. We can talk about patrols and such." She started walking, and Draco smiled and followed her out of the library. "So, we have twenty-two prefects and then us. I think that, since the emphasis this year is on house unity, we should have the prefects patrol with members of other houses and with people in different years whenever possible. I don't think we should start Gryffindors with Slytherins though, because it's too soon, and both sides are still very touchy. Well, the Gryffindors are at least. But I think that we should always patrol together, just to set a good example. What do you think?" she asked.

"I agree with all of that," he affirmed, repressing a smile at the thought of them patrolling together for the entire year. "But I did want to bring up one thing. I always hated that whenever me and Pansy had to patrol last year and the year before, it was an all night ordeal because we had to cover the whole castle in one night. I was thinking that we could divide patrols by floors and give each set of prefects two or three floors so that they still have time to go back to the dorm, do some homework, and still get to bed at a somewhat decent hour."

"Yes!" Hermione exclaimed. "I always hated that too, what a wonderful idea, Malfoy!" By now they had reached the Great Hall, and people were giving the amicable two very curious looks. "Find me after breakfast and we can decide on when would be the best time to make the pairs and assign floors. Then we can call a meeting after dinner and hand out assignments."

Malfoy couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "I'll find you," he said, turning toward the Slytherin table.

"Excellent," Hermione beamed. "See you later Malfoy!" she herself turned toward the Gryffindor table. _When did Malfoy become so agreeable?, _Hermione wondered, sitting down next to Ginny.

"You guys are getting on rather well then?" Ginny asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, actually," Hermione replied. "He's really well-mannered all of a sudden. He waited outside of my room this morning so we could walk to breakfast together. And he had a really good idea about patrols. I was worried that I would have to do all the work this year, but I have been pleasantly surprised so far."

Harry and Ron appeared and sat down on either side of Hermione. "What are you two talking about?" Harry asked, reaching across the table to take Ginny's hand and giving it a quick squeeze before digging into his delicious breakfast.

"Malfoy," Ginny said. Ron froze and then scowled.

"Why are we ruining our breakfast banter with that loathsome, disgusting Death Eater?" Ron growled. Hermione smacked his arm lightly.

"Ron!" she whispered harshly, horrified at his language. "Don't be so rude! That's all behind us now. Stop being so pig-headed." Ron opened his mouth to protest but Harry shoved a load of bacon into his mouth, preventing him from speaking.

"Don't say something stupid, mate," Harry warned. "You're the only one of us that even remotely has held onto those prejudices."

"Ron, he's not even that bad anymore," Hermione defended. "He's not bad at all. He's been nothing but kind to me since I got here. In fact, I _wouldn't_ be here, if he hadn't found me asleep on the train. Hold your tongue, because if you keep it up, you'll be the one nobody cares for."

Harry and Ginny exchanged an amused look, and Hermione glanced over at Malfoy. To her surprise, he was looking right at her.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please leave a review, I really enjoy reading them. Like I said, I'll really be only to update every Sunday. I usually write a little bit throughout the week and then finish it up on Sunday's, but there's always the possibility that I get struck with inspiration and post a chapter early. But I can always guarantee a Sunday chapter. Have a great week! **

**-Reilly **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Sorry, I didn't upload a new chapter last Sunday, but it was Easter and I had EOC tests the following week so I decided to skip it. However, I am uploading two chapters this weekend. One today and one tomorrow. Enjoy!**

* * *

Hermione and Draco held each other's gaze for a few more moments, then McGonagall cleared her throat at the podium. "Good morning, students," she announced. "Your schedules for this semester should be appearing next to your plates in a few minutes. I just wanted to remind you that this year is about rebuilding relationships. The war is over." She gives a pointed glance to the Slytherin table, then the Gryffindors. "Any violent acts will not be tolerated, and the people involved will be immediately expelled."

"She's bluffing," Ron muttered bitterly, not believing McGonagall could expel one from her own house. Hermione shushed him and shook her head. He was really starting to get on her nerves.

"That's all," she finished, giving everyone a last, long warning look before returning to her seat at the head table. McGonagall was really quite intimidating when she wanted to be. Just then, everyone's schedules appeared and the Great Hall was filled with chatter once again.

The first class was Advanced Potions with the Slytherins. Hermione doubted that was a coincidence. After potions she had Advanced Transfiguration with the Hufflepuffs, lunch, a Double Study Hall, and then dinner. She hoped that Malfoy had at least one Study Hall with her, so they would could work out all the kinks of the patrols.

McGonagall dismissed them to their first class a few minutes later and Harry, Hermione, and Ron headed off toward the dungeons. Thankfully, Potions was the only class the other two had with the Slytherins that day. Ron was becoming increasingly insufferable.

Malfoy and his friends were walking a few meters ahead. Hermione watched him curiously. She was debating whether or not to ask him about his schedule now or after Potions. He was...different around his friends. Almost normal, like her and Ron and Harry. He had his hands in the pockets, and Theodore Nott was talking animatedly in his ear. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but Malfoy looked amused. Suddenly Pansy Parkinson came up and grabbed his forearm and whispered something harshly. He jerked his arm away and rolled his eyes. Blaise slung his arm around her shoulders, dragging her away from Malfoy. She attempted protest, but decided against it and just walked ahead with Blaise. Theo punched Malfoy's arm and Malfoy shoved him in return.

The Slytherins seemed...happy. Happier than she had ever seen them, actually. "Do the Slytherins seem different to you?" Hermione asked the two boys.

"No. Their just as horrible as before," Ron sneered. Hermione rolled her eyes at him.

"What about you, Harry?" she repeated.

"Yeah," Harry replied. "They seem a lot...nicer. I mean, not _nice_, but nicer."

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Hermione murmured.

* * *

"Draco, I don't know why you can't woo her like you woo every single other girl in the school. Just be...well, not yourself. Hmm," Teddy pondered. Draco grinned. Suddenly Pansy rushed up to him and latched onto his arm.

"What is wrong with you?" she seethed. "We agreed. We-"

"Come now, Pansy," said Blaise, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and leading her away. She made a single attempt at escape, but quickly forfeited to Blaise's steel grip.

Everyone entered the Potions room, but before anyone could take a seat Professor Dartmyth stopped them. "Don't sit. I have a seating chart," he smiled at our groans of misery. "Hush, hush, you'll come to appreciate your new partners. I've put a lot of thought into this." He grinned cheekily and walked over to the first desk. "Harry and Blaise." The next desk. "Draco and Seamus." He continued on. "Pansy and Parvarti. Hermione and Theodore. Millicent and Ron. Lavender and Dean."

Soon all the desks were filled, most with one Gryffindor and one Slytherin. Hermione was rather upset she wasn't paired with Draco. It certainly would've been convenient, they could've talked about patrols as they worked. Oh, well. She would catch him after class. Besides, Theodore was one of the more pleasant Slytherins. He was fairly good at potions, and he seemed pleasant when he was with Malfoy. He even smiled at her as he sat down.

"Alright, everyone. The first potion we're going to make is rather simple. Draught of Living should have all at least attempted it in your sixth year. Think of it as a warm-up." Professor Dartmyth smirked at all of us. Hermione was curious about him. He was quite strange, for a professor. "You may begin." He turned and went to sit at his desk, resting his feet on the surface.

Hermione turned to Theodore. "Um, would you like me to get the ingredients while you prepare the cauldron, or..." she trailed off, puzzled by Theo's pleasant smile. "I'll go get them," he said. "What page are they listed on?" he asked.

"I've got it here," she said, handing her textbook to him. He winked at her and then sauntered off to the cabinet that held all the specifics necessary for their potion. Hermione was completely thrown off guard by Theo's niceness. It was just as surprising as Malfoy's, if not more. Malfoy at least had a reason to be cordial to her. They would be working together all year, but her and Theo were only potions partners. They only had to be civil, not even that really. They could get along just fine without even speaking. She had done it all fifth year when Millicent was her partner.

She snuck a peek at Malfoy to see how he was doing with Seamus. To her surprise, they seemed to be getting along quite well. What was going _on_?

After potions was over-her and Theo's had been perfect of course. They were a splendid team-she walked over to where Malfoy was putting his textbook back in his satchel. She was intercepted by Seamus, however. "Hermione!" he exclaimed excitedly, enveloping her in a hug. He was much bigger than her, and she was almost completely covered by his embrace. "Transfiguration next, yeah? Let's walk together." He released her from the hug, but kept one hand possessively entwined with hers.

"I'll catch up to you, Seamus. I just need a quick word with Malfoy," she responded, tugging her hand out of his. He frowned, but conceded and exited the Potions room accordingly.

Hermione didn't notice Draco's strangled expression. "Don't let me keep you from your boyfriend, Granger," Malfoy said coldly. He immediately regretted it when he saw the shocked and confused look on her face.

"Uh, he's not...my boyfriend," she said, nervously rubbing her hand as if trying to remove the Seamus from it. " Anyway, I was wondering what you had after lunch. I've got a double Study Hall, and was hoping we could work out the rest of the patrols before dinner."

Draco nodded, his cool mask still intact. "I've got one Study Hall right after lunch, but after that I've got Advanced Herbology. I'll catch up to you after lunch. We can work at that table by the entrance to your dormitory. If that's okay," he replied. Hermione beamed at him, and he couldn't bring himself to stay upset. Finnegan was just another admirer, nothing he couldn't handle. He felt a smile creep on to his own face.

"Brilliant," Hermione said, smiling at him again before walking toward the door. "See you then!" she called over her shoulder. Malfoy struggled to prevent a smile of his own from appearing on his face, and gathered his things. Professor Dartmyth grinned mischievously.

"Interesting," he mumbled as Malfoy exited. "Interesting indeed."

* * *

**Please leave a review, I love reading them!**

**-Reilly**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi all! Here's the second chapter I promised. Hope you all enjoy! Let me know if I'm incorrect about anything I claim about Hogwarts, such as the school having eight floors. I don't know if that's actually true or not, it's been a while since I read the books, but eight floors worked for my plot line. Stuff like that is bound to happen a lot, so just let me know in a review if I've made a mistake or not. **

**Thanks, Reilly. **

* * *

Hermione had gotten used to Seamus's puppy dog tendencies by lunch. It was two-parts cute, and one-part annoying. Obviously, what girl didn't want an attractive guy like Seamus fawning over them? Hermione wasn't above that, although most thought she would be. He flirted with her all throughout Transfiguration, carried her books (which were _a lot_), and begged her to sit with him at lunch.

"Seamus, I'm sorry. You know I always sit next to Harry and Ron. For the past seven years it's been like this, I don't understand why this is coming as such a shock to you," Hermione laughed, brushing some stray fringe from her face.

"Alright, Hermione," Seamus replied, grabbing her hand again. "But, you have to go on the next Hogsmeade trip with me. As repayment for never sitting with me during any meals once in our entire lives." He grinned cheekily at her.

"A date?" Hermione asked, forgetting to pull her hand away.

"Yeah, a date. It'll be...fun," he said, shrugging. Hermione was down for a date with Seamus. She'd had a crush on him in first year after all. Her inner twelve-year-old must be weeping tears of joy.

"Okay," Hermione agreed with a smile, backing away. "A date. Awesome." She turned, smiled again, and walked toward the front of the Gryffindor table, her usual spot. Ginny was already there, eating a green apple.

"What?" Ginny asked, curious about Hermione's expression. It was a mixture between extreme confusion and giddiness. "What's happened?"

"Seamus just asked me on a date," Hermione replied. Ginny blanched. "I know!" she exclaimed.

"Seamus _Finnegan_? Hermione, he's an idiot! _Why _would you want to date him?" Ginny demanded.

"I don't know, he's cute and nice. And he's been a friend of mine forever, what's the harm?" Hermione questioned. "Besides, it's Seamus, so I know it'll be a good time. Why can't I have a good time, Ginny?" Hermione winked and Ginny just scoffed, returning to her apple.

Just then, Harry and Ron plopped down on either side of Hermione. "What are you two talking about?" Ron asked.

"Hermione got asked on a date," Ginny blurted, innocently taking another bite of her apple whilst Hermione glared at her.

"Who asked you on a date, Hermione?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Seamus," Ginny replied for her.

"Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed, exasperatedly.

"_Seamus_ asked _you _on a date?" Ron repeated, shocked. Harry himself was speechless.

"It's not a big deal," Hermione mumbled, hands fidgeting.

"Hermione, we're only teasing," Ginny said, placing her hand on one of Hermione's. "Of course you'll have a good time. Seamus's a total laugh."

Hermione smiled and subtly changed the subject toward Ginny and Harry's upcoming anniversary. It distracted them the way she hoped it would. Soon, lunch was over and she scanned the Great Hall for Malfoy's blond head. _Maybe he forgot,_ Hermione thought, dejectedly starting toward the doors. Now she would have to find some other time to talk about patrols with him before dinner, and no easy solution came immediately to mind.

"Granger," she heard him call from behind her, gently pushing his way through the crowd of Gryffindors. She couldn't help but smile at him, and he grinned back. "Library?" She nodded, and he gently grabbed her elbow, leading her toward the exit. He parted the sea of people in a way that she had never seen before. Not even Harry could disperse people like Malfoy could.

The two attracted many curious gazes, including a strangled one from Ron, but managed to make it out of the Great Hall without getting interrogated. Suddenly it was just them. Draco didn't want to talk about patrols right away. If he did that, they'd have it all worked out by the time they got back to the library. And then he wouldn't have an excuse to spend time with her until their first patrol.

"So, how's your day been Granger?" he asked, putting his hands in his pockets awkwardly. Hermione looked at him incredulously and then laughed.

"Um, it's been alright, Malfoy. How about yours?" She beamed at him.

"It's been, um, yeah, good. It's been a good day," he replied, attempting nonchalance.

"How do you like the new potions teacher?" Hermione inquired.

"Weird. I haven't decided if it's good or bad weird yet, but he's definitely a strange one," Draco answered.

"I think so too," Hermione agreed, smiling again.

Their small talk had gotten them to the library and they headed toward Hermione's room in without speaking. When they reached the table right in front of her room, Hermione took a seat and immediately took out a piece of parchment and began writing. Draco, instead of sitting across from her like she would've expected, sat right next to her.

She looked up surprised, but when he raised an eyebrow questioningly, she shrugged and went back to writing. After a few more moments she showed him the paper.

"Okay, this is a list of all the prefects we have at our disposal in their corresponding houses. We decided not to put the Slytherins with Gryffindor's just yet. You know them best, who do you think these Slytherins will like working with for the first semester?" Hermione asked.

Draco studied the list for a minute before responding, "Well, Pansy won't have a problem with any of the Ravenclaws or Hufflepuffs. She'd probably even be willing to work with a fifth or sixth year, if we're going to mix up the classes." Hermione nodded.

"Excellent. I feel starting her with a Hufflepuff, and then moving her to Ron next semester will have the effect we desire, but I don't want to make her uncomfortable."

Draco shook his head. "No, she told me she's fine with anyone. You probably won't believe me when I say this, but she really wants to make friends in other houses. She's _really _not a fighter, she just wants everyone to like each other. She'll do absolutely anything," Draco said.

"I believe you," Hermione replied after pondering for a moment. Draco looked at her curiously.

"Why?" he asked. Hermione shrugged.

"I don't know. I just saw how you all interacted this morning on your way to potions. It's getting harder and harder for me to see you guys as villains these days." Hermione gave him a weak smile and shrugged.

They worked for another fifteen minutes or so making pairs. Almost every prefect had a partner in a different year and from a different house. Then they set to dividing up the patrols. Hogwarts had eight floors, each floor taking about half an hour to cover. They decided that each group would cover two floors after curfew.

They made a random list of the pairs, putting themselves right in the middle. Each pair would patrol for about an hour, twice a week. They rotated floors, however. So if a pair patrolled floors one and two on Monday, then on Thursday they would patrol three and four, etc. Teachers and Heads patrolled Saturday night, but they had arranged Saturday patrols in a similar fashion.

"Finished," Hermione announced. There was only a few minutes before Malfoy's free period was over.

"We make a good team," Draco said, smirking at her ever so slightly. She smiled in return as she took out a new piece of parchment. "What are you up to now?"

"I'm just going to rewrite this, make it neater, and then make a copy for McGonagall, just in case she wants one. Then I'll probably start on the potions assignment Dartmyth gave us." Draco nodded, and the bell signaled for students to head to their next class.

"See you at dinner then, Granger," Draco called, waving as he walked back toward the library entrance.

"Bye!" she yelled after him, turning back toward the papers in front of her. They really, really did make a fantastic team.

* * *

**I would really love some feedback from you guys. Longer chapters, or is the current length fine? Let me know stuff like that or just what you thought of the chapter in a review! Nest chapter will come next Sunday!**

**-Reilly**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi all! Sorry I didn't upload a chapter last Sunday _again._ It's towards the end of my school year and everything is just getting very stressful. I simply did not have time to finish a chapter last weekend, but I promise that THREE (including this one) will be uploaded before the end of tomorrow. Perhaps before the end of tonight. Stay tuned my lovelies!**

**-Reilly**

* * *

Ron quickly became insufferable as Hermione and Draco explained the new patrol system in the Great Hall after dinner. "Hermione," he whined, "why can't I just patrol with you?"

"Malfoy and I are patrolling together because we're the Heads, Ron," Hermione replied patiently.

"Okay, but I still don't see why I can't patrol with another Gryffindor," Ron persisted.

"Weasley. The _entire theme_ of this year is house unity. Why can't you get that through your thick skull?" Malfoy wondered exasperatedly.

"Shut it, Malfoy. Not all of us want to taint themselves by being in the presence of your dark mark," Ron growled. Before Malfoy could retort, Hermione gasped.

"Ron!" she exclaimed. "Ten points from Gryffindor for...being an arse. The pairs are made and that's final. You will get a new partner next semester. You're dismissed." Ron glared at Hermione as he departed, while the rest of the prefects introduced themselves to their partners.

"You didn't have to do that, Granger," Draco said, turning to her. Hermione shrugged.

"Yeah, I did," Hermione replied. "He needs to learn that prejudice is a thing of the past, and that he doesn't get special treatment just because he's one of my best friends."

"Well, thanks. I appreciate it. And I'm sure my fellow Slytherins will as well," Draco added, turning back to the group. They stuck around for a few more minutes to answer questions before heading back to their rooms.

"So who've you chosen for your study group?" Hermione asked conversationally. Draco shrugged.

"I don't know yet," he replied. "I was thinking of taking applications and then selecting the kids who need the most assistance." Hermione looked at him.

"That's positively brilliant, Malfoy," Hermione proclaimed. Draco smirked at her.

"What do you take me for Granger? They wouldn't just make some idiot the Head Boy," Draco returned. Hermione blushed and began her protest.

"That's not what I meant, Malfoy. You just keep surprising me with your good ideas. I've never...I mean...it's just..."

"I get it, Granger," Malfoy said with a wink. "You're baffled by my excellence. It happens to the best of us."

Hermione scoffed. "He's modest too, girls," she said dryly. Draco laughed out loud and Hermione looked at him curiously. They'd reached her room by now (he'd walked her to her door) and were standing outside.

"What is it now Granger?" he asked, rolling his eyes with a grin.

"I've never seen you like this. This happy, I mean," she answered. It was true. Last year he'd been a disaster; pale, thin, exhausted. She'd never seen anyone so fragile and unhealthy looking. But looking at him now, he was a picture of health and happiness. He smiled down at her. She hadn't noticed how close they were standing and she cleared her throat and took a small step back.

"Granger, compared to last year, I'm in heaven," he replied, choosing to ignore how she backed away from him. She looked at her shoes, books and papers held tightly to her chest. He moved towards her just a little, just to make up for the space she'd put between them with her little step back, and tucked a loose curl behind her ear. She looked up at him, eyes wide, breath catching in her throat.

His eyes were burning with something she recognized but couldn't place. His hand lingered on her cheek for a moment, but it soon returned to his side. "Goodnight, Granger," he whispered.

"Goodnight," she breathed in reply. He turned and started toward his own door, stuffing his hands in his pockets. She debated stopping him and asking him what the hell had just happened, but in the end she just let him go.

* * *

After a few days, a ritual fell into place. Draco would wait for Hermione outside her room. They would smile shyly at each other before heading down to the Great Hall, though Draco would deny that he was even capable of _shyness_, the damnable emotion. They mostly walked in comfortable silence, but sometimes they talked about Head duties. The would get to the Great Hall and part with a smile, which both were interrogated about.

They would meet whenever they both had a study hall and most of the time all they did was sit and do homework, although Draco admitted to Pansy, Blaise, and Theo that he mostly just watched _her _do homework. She got this expression on her face that Draco found very appealing though he couldn't say exactly why.

After dinner they would walk back to the library together. Sometimes she would go to the Gryffindor common room, and when she did Draco went to his common room with his friends as well. They would sometimes tease him about his Granger crush and asked him questions about her, but they mostly spent this time laughing and catching up. He left the common room late on these days.

Their first patrol occurred the first Friday night of the school year. Hermione was strangely anxious, but in a good way. She hadn't asked him about the whole thing outside her room on the first day of school, and he didn't bring it up either, so she decided to let it be. The last thing she wanted to do was make something out of nothing or make things awkward between them. She _did_ have to work with him for the rest of the school year after all.

She met him outside of his room this time. He raised his eyebrows when he saw her leaning against the bookshelf across from his door. "Well isn't this a pleasant surprise," he said with a grin. She shrugged.

"I thought it was about time to switch it up," she replied with a smile of her own. She pushed off the bookshelves and gestured toward the exit. "Let's go."

They were assigned the seventh and eighth floors, and it was quiet. They walked quietly together. Malfoy, who generally loved quiet and peace, could not stand the silence tonight. "Granger, tell me something," he requested. Hermione laughed breathily.

"What do you want to know?" She wondered, glancing at him quickly before returning her gaze forward.

"How did you come to be friends with Potter and the Weasel?" He asked. She gave him a stern look and he held his hands up to surrender. "I'm just curious. You're way too good for them, to be honest."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at this comment. He had referred to her as a Mudblood for the last five years. Now he was saying she was too good for The Boy Who Lived? "Well, in first year Ron was pretty cruel. I tried to help him during charms class, but he got offended and said some rude things about me behind my back."

"I'm not seeing how this led to you being _The Golden Trio_," Draco interrupted.

"Well, if you'd let me finish," Hermione admonished with a laugh. "Anyways, I overheard what he said and I went and cried in the bathroom during dinner. This happened to be the night that the troll escaped. Do you remember?" Draco nodded. "I hadn't heard about it, and Harry and Ron came to find me, to warn me about it. By then the troll had found me in the bathroom and Harry and Ron saved me from it. We've been best friends ever since." It was quiet while Draco absorbed this new information. "What about you, Pansy, Blaise, and Theo?" Hermione asked.

"Well, we're all Purebloods, so we've known each other since birth. There's no exciting tale about how we became friends, we've just always been. We grew up together. They're all I've ever known."

"That's nice," Hermione pondered. "I have a friend like that. She's a Muggle though. We grew apart a bit when I came to Hogwarts but we still spend the summers together. Or we try to at least." Draco nodded and they sunk back into silence. They finished the seventh floor and headed up to the eighth.

"Malfoy, tell me something," Hermione said, smiling at him. He grinned.

"What do you want to know?" he asked.

"Anything," she replied. It was quiet while he thought.

"I have a pet snake," he finally announced. Hermione snorted.

"Can't really say I'm surprised," she said with a chuckle.

"His name is Mr. Scaly. I got him when I was four." He smiled while Hermione laughed loudly. She had a nice laugh. He liked it a lot.

"That's _adorable_," she choked out. He tried to scowl at her for using that specific adjective but he found he couldn't. He just laughed along with her. "I bet you were an extremely cute child, Malfoy."

"Are you saying that I'm not cute now?" He pouted. Hermione looked at him and burst out laughing again.

"Not necessarily," Hermione suggested with a wink. He stopped and watched her walk in front of him.

Hermione Granger had just openly admitted that she found him attractive. There was hope for him yet.

* * *

**Review, review, review! **

**(There may or may not be a kiss coming up soon.) **

**-Reilly**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's chapter seven. Now we're back on schedule! I'll definitely try my best to get a chapter up every Sunday from now on. If not, there will be two every other weekend, like there has been for the last four weeks. Enjoy lovelies! **

**-R**

* * *

"Are you saying you're attracted to me, Granger?" Draco asked, rather surprised at her last remark. Hermione stopped where she was and turned to look at him. They were standing a few feet apart. Hermione's hands clasped nervously in front of her, and she bit her lip.

"I'm saying you're attractive. There's no denying that, Malfoy. You know how you look, you tend to publicize it whenever possible." Hermione responded.

"That's not a denial," Malfoy observed, closing the distance between them. He stopped about a foot away. Hermione stared at her shoes for a minute before looking back up at him. She was blushing a little.

"Let's just finish our rounds. It's getting late." Hermione stated, turning and walking briskly away from him. Draco stood in shock for a few moments before running after her.

"Granger, what...?"

"Nothing, Malfoy." She snapped. "Let's just get this over with. Please."

He was completely baffled. They had gone from playful banter to...he didn't even know, in approximately thirty seconds.

She was embarrassed. He had deduced that, but why? Because she was attracted to him? Why would that embarrass her? Unless she thought he was going to ridicule her for it. That _is _something he would've done in the past. But surely she knew that things were different now? The circumstances weren't the same, he himself had changed. He didn't care about blood status anymore, if that's what she was thinking. He really just cared about her.

"Granger, wait," he called. She appeared to speed up. He jogged after her, grabbing her wrist. She immediately yanked it out of his grasp.

"_Don't_, Malfoy," she insisted, avoiding eye contact. He his hands on either side of her head, forcing her to face him.

"Look at me, Hermione," he murmured. She glanced up at him at his use of her first name, eyes wide. They stood like that for a few moments, his hands on her face, just staring at each other. He couldn't help it. He leaned in.

Hermione did nothing to stop him. Their lips touched. Draco was tentative, waiting for her to respond, to reciprocate his kiss. Just when he was about to pull away, she sighed and leaned into him, moving her lips with his. His hand moved from either side of her head to her lower back and neck. She fisted one hand in his hair, the other one running up and down his chest. It was the perfect first kiss; better than he ever could have imagined.

He opened his mouth a little in an attempt to deepen the kiss, but she seemed to remember herself and pulled away immediately. She looked up at him in shock, breathing hard. She looked like she was about to have a panic attack. "Hermione," Draco started, trying to reassure her, but she interrupted him.

"Don't Malfoy. Please." Her voice broke a little and she turned and ran towards the stairs. Malfoy watched her go. When she was out of sight he swore, turning and almost punching the wall, before thinking better of it. A broken hand would get him nowhere with Hermione, and it would fucking hurt.

He sighed, and started toward the dungeons. If Hermione was going to abandon patrols, then so was he.

* * *

"So she just ran away?" Pansy repeated. Draco sighed exasperatedly.

"_Yes_, Pansy. That's what I just said," Draco replied.

"That blows," Theo said. Draco scoffed, burying his head in his hands.

"So what's your next move?" Blaise asked. Draco looked up at him.

"My next move?" he reiterated.

"Yeah. What are you going to do next?" Blaise enunciated slowly. Draco looked at him blankly.

"Well, obviously she hates me, so, nothing," Draco replied miserably.

"Okay, don't be absurd, she doesn't hate you," Pansy spoke up. "She's probably just confused. She's not used to guys being interested in her, and all of a sudden you are and you're being very nice to her and she likes you but she's not sure why. And then you kiss her and she likes it. I mean, at least I think she liked it. And she's confused because you've been horrendous to her for the entirety of the time that you've known each other. Not to mention the fact that her best friends continue to hate you and she _should _hate you, but she doesn't. She also probably feels like she's betrayed her friends and, you know, the entire Light Side by kissing you. She also probably thinks it's a prank of some sort and that she's about experience some terrible humiliation."

Draco stared at her. "How could you possibly assume all that?"

Pansy lifted a finger and pointed to herself. "Female," she stated, as if that should explain everything.

Pansy did have a point. Many points, actually. "Should I go talk to her?" He asked her.

"Yes, definitely," she answered. "She's probably still awake. In fact, she's probably agonizing over what just happened. I think you should come out and tell her how you feel. It's not like you have a lot to lose at this point." Draco sighed.

"Okay, I'm going."

* * *

Hermione had collapsed on her bed as soon as she had gotten back to her room. She had all but directly admitted she was attracted to Malfoy. He had kissed her. She had _liked _it. What was happening to her?

Her face was flushed, her heart was racing. This was a disaster. Harry and Ron would be furious with her if they found out. And they would murder Draco. It was all probably a practical joke too. The whole Slytherin House was most likely in on it. She would positively die of embarrassment once everyone found out. She would probably have to move to America to escape the humiliation. She would die alone and no one would come to her funeral. Everything was ruined.

But she refused to cry. She would not waste any tears on that, that ferret. She would, however, weep freely once her friends abandoned her and all was lost.

She heard a knock at the her door; the one connected to her and Draco's common room. It was him.

"Hermione, please come to the door."

She wished he would stop using her first name. She enjoyed the way it rolled off his tongue too much. His _tongue_.

"Please go away, Malfoy," she moaned, rolling over and burying her face in her comforter.

"Hermione, I know you think this is some sort of practical joke, but I swear to you it's not. Please, let's talk about it," Draco pleaded. There was something in his voice that motivated her to get up. Once she was standing, she sighed, slowly starting towards the door.

She opened it a crack. He was standing there, leaning on the doorway. He looked disheveled. She realized she probably did too.

"Hermione," he sighed. She couldn't do this. Not when he was looking at her like...like _that. _She went to close the door, but he grabbed it with his hand and pushed it open. She squeaked and stepped away from him. "May I come in?"

She nodded warily. He came in and took both her hands in his. "Hermione, I know you think this is a prank, but it's not, I promise. I-"

"Why should I believe you?" Hermione demanded, yanking her hands out of his. He opened his mouth to provide an answer, but he realized that she was right. She didn't have any reason to believe him.

"You'll just have to trust me, Granger," he responded. "Hermione, I know you'll find this hard to believe but I-I..." She looked at him expectantly but he couldn't bring himself to say the words. Emotions were never his strong suit. He moved towards her. "Just let me show you, Hermione." He put one hand on her waist. She didn't push him away, so he put the other one on the back of her head.

"Draco," she started, heart beating furiously. This was a bad idea. He didn't let her finish the protest. He kissed her, passionately. He didn't wait for her to give him permission to enter her mouth, he simply did. She responded immediately. She couldn't help it. Draco Malfoy was a damn good kisser.

She bit his lip and he growled into her mouth, wrapping his arm around her waist and pressing her against him. She brought her hands up to his chest, and for a moment he thought she was going to push him away, but she pulled his shirt from his trousers and slipped her hands under it, caressing his stomach and back. He broke away, gasping.

"_Hermione._"

She stilled, and looked up at him. _His eyes are seriously beautiful_, she thought. "So what, exactly, was that supposed to show me?" she asked innocently. She was standing on her tip-toes, and their arms were wrapped tightly around each other. He touched his forehead to hers, noses touching as well.

"I like you, Granger," he said with a cheeky grin.

"Oh," Hermione replied, smiling as well. She tried to contain it by biting down on her lip.

He laughed and pulled away. "_Oh_? Are you serious?" She shrugged.

"This is all very sudden, you have to admit," Hermione said.

"True," Draco conceded.

"Since when have you felt this way, Malfoy?" Hermione wondered.

"Since very recently," he lied.

"I see," Hermione mumbled. They stood still for a while, just holding each other. "Well, would you like to stay for a while then, Draco?" He beamed at her, and Hermione had to physically stop herself from swooning.

"I would love to stay, Hermione."

* * *

**So, in the beginning of the chapter, Draco says that "it's the perfect first kiss". I just wanted to clarify that it doesn't necessarily mean that it's his or Hermione's first kiss, I just mean that it's _their _first kiss. And of course, it's awesome, because I mean, Draco Malfoy. And eep, the kissing scenes. It's the first time I've ever written anything of that sort so please, let me know what you thought. Feel free to criticize, I love any feedback. **

**Review, review, review! I adore your reviews so leave them, always. **

**Mwah, until next Sunday!**

**-R**


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